Shen Xiang stood on the Immortal Demon Cliff and put away the "Vermilion Bird Fire Wings." It was noteworthy that being able to transform true energy into wings required a very advanced skill. As he just arrived at the top of the cliff, he heard the sound of fighting coming from a distance. Although it was quite far away, his entry into the God Consciousness Realm allowed him to hear it clearly.
He immediately flew over. If it had been an ordinary conflict, he wouldn't have gone, but the sounds of battle he heard indicated that this was no ordinary fight.
Soon, he arrived in a dense forest and saw two handsome young men engaged in a fierce struggle against five men in black. The two young men appeared somewhat weak, yet their combat skills were quite decent. They faced the fierce sword techniques of the five black-clad men with relative ease, but their true energy was insufficient, and if this continued, they would surely be killed by the attackers.
"This seems like the Xu family's Illusory Sword Technique, which uses light refraction to create illusions with the sword, making it difficult for opponents to discern!" Shen Xiang recognized it at a glance because he had read many books on martial arts.
Knowing that they were from the Xu family, Shen Xiang did not stand idly by, as Xu Xianxian was his fiancée, and the Shen and Xu families had a good relationship.
"Look out!"
Shen Xiang shouted loudly, moving like a blue shadow as he flew forward. His hand transformed into a dragon claw, reaching for one of the black-clad men's head. At the same time, he roared, unleashing a wave of azure true energy that engulfed the black-clad man. With the dragon's roar echoing out, Shen Xiang's claw instantly crushed the man's head into pieces!
The overwhelming force caused the remaining four black-clad men and the two Xu family disciples to be momentarily stunned. The imposing azure dragon true energy instilled fear in their hearts. What shocked them the most was Shen Xiang's combat skills, which they had never encountered before.
After crushing the head of the black-clad man, Shen Xiang's dragon claw quickly transformed into a fist and struck at another black-clad man. In just a blink, he unleashed dozens of punches, each shadow of his fist rushing toward the stunned black-clad men. The strikes resounded like explosions; this was the Violent Killing Fist!
With Shen Xiang's abundant true energy, executing the Violent Killing Fist was effortless, and he didn't have to worry about depleting his energy. Each explosive punch was incredibly powerful, difficult to withstand, especially since he unleashed so many punches in such a short time.
In the blink of an eye, he defeated another black-clad man. At this moment, the two Xu family youths finally regained their senses and resumed their attack.
With Shen Xiang's help, the black-clad men were pushed back, and they quickly sustained serious injuries—something they had not anticipated.
"Thank you, big brother, for saving us!" said the taller youth, clasping his fists in gratitude. "I am Xu Ming."
"I am Xu Zhilang!" said the other youth, also clasping his fists. "Thank you, big brother, for your help!"
Although Shen Xiang was only sixteen years old, he appeared quite mature due to his robust physique.
"There's no need for thanks; my name is Shen Xiang! The Shen and Xu families are close allies, so this is expected," he replied politely, which touched both Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang. They hadn't expected Shen Xiang to be the one who saved them.
Shen Xiang was relatively well-known in the Xu family because their talented daughter, Xu Xianxian, was his fiancée. However, many of the Xu family disciples held a dim view of him, knowing he was a martial artist without a spiritual pulse. Now, seeing Shen Xiang's astonishing strength surprised them greatly.
"Are you really Shen Xiang?" Xu Ming asked incredulously.
Shen Xiang nodded with a smile, "Of course. You two must be here for the banquet at our Shen family, right?"
Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang nodded, although filled with confusion, they did not press further, as that would be impolite—especially considering Shen Xiang had just saved them.
"What are these black-clad men's origins? Why did they try to assassinate you?" Shen Xiang asked, looking at the three heavily injured black-clad men on the ground.
Xu Ming replied, "They are assassins! We don't know which organization they belong to, but their strength is at the fifth level of the Common Martial Realm. We encountered them on our way here."
Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang quickly killed the remaining three, but they didn't find anything on them, nor did they intend to extract information from them, as these assassins were trained to never speak, even in death.
"Brother Shen, you must have entered the sixth level of the Common Martial Realm, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to dispatch those two black-clad men so easily!" Xu Ming recalled how Shen Xiang had rushed in and eliminated two black-clad men in a matter of moments. A shiver ran down his spine, filled with respect for Shen Xiang, who was not much older than them yet significantly more powerful.
Shen Xiang smiled and nodded, "I just broke through!"
Using his true energy fire, Shen Xiang burned the corpses, which caused Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang to be slightly startled. The true energy fire was known to be the flame of alchemy, making them realize why Shen Xiang had the courage to accept the challenge from the talented alchemist of the Yao family.
Xu Zhilang then said with a look of shame, "Brother Shen, I didn't expect you to hide your strength. I've looked down on you before; please forgive me!"
Shen Xiang shook his head and smiled, "It's all right. After all, this world values strength above all. By the way, will Xianxian attend the banquet?"
Xu Ming laughed, "You challenged the talented alchemist of the Yao family; of course, she will be there! No wonder that little girl has feelings for you, big brother Shen, and is so confident."
Shen Xiang was at a loss for words; he hadn't expected Xu Xianxian to really challenge the talented alchemist from the Yao family. He had mentioned it before, but he never thought it would happen so quickly.
As Shen Xiang walked with Xu Ming and Xu Zhilang toward the bustling and lively Wo Hu City, they suddenly noticed a grand procession of carriages approaching from a distance. The procession consisted of five luxurious carriages, each pulled by eight magnificent horses. The front and back of the caravan were flanked by burly men on horseback, exuding a fierce aura that made it clear they were bodyguards.
"It's the Yao family; they are indeed remarkable!" Shen Xiang remarked, noting the large "Yao" character on the carriages and the extravagant attire of the bodyguards.
"Those three men, report your names immediately! Otherwise, we will treat you as assassins!" a loud voice shouted from the caravan.
This made Shen Xiang and Xu Ming feel a surge of displeasure. Just as they were about to respond, a long sword shot through the air like an arrow, imbued with thick true energy, aimed directly at Shen Xiang.